The Sea Cloud docked early in the morning at the port of Katakolon. We boarded the buses for the short drive to the impressive site of Olympia, the birthplace of the ancient Olympic Games. We started our visit with the gymnasium where the ancient athletes trained for the finals. We wandered around the extensive site and we studied the Temple of Zeus, where the great statue of him was created in the 5th century B.C. The statue was made of ivory and gold, and is one of the seven wonders of the ancient world.
The path led us to the stadium where we tried to imagine 4,500 spectators cheering their champions before passing by the Temple of Hera, and then on to the museum. This museum at Olympia houses masterpieces of Classical, Hellenistic, and Roman art such as, Hermes of Praxiteles, the statue of Nike, the incredible pediments of the temple of Zeus, and the handsome Hadrian.
We were back on the ship for lunch and a cool swim in the Ionian Sea. Stargazing with John our Expedition Leader was a great end to another amazing day.
